Charisma
by obsessedwithstabler
Summary: My take on what should've happened at the end of Charisma...


Yay! This is my 20th story on this site! Cookies for everyone who reviews!!

Okay, this is an AE for the eppy Charisma, cause I'm tired of Wolf splitting El and Liv up during their crucial eppys (Raw, Charisma, Shaken, and many others), He only does it cause he knows that they would wind up going at it like junkyard bunnies!

This story is for seriesfanatic, who has given me some of the most wonderful reviews! And don't worry, I won't stop. Not til I've achieved... TOTAL WORLD DOMINATION!! MWHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Or fanfic domination. Either one.

Disclaimer: They ain't mine. But in honor of my 20th story, Wolf said, "Get out of my shower!" Jeez...

"Shut up, Eugene!" Olivia shouted, her eyes darting back and forth between Abraham and Melanie. She saw the gun appear in Eugene's hand, and her heart stopped as two shots resonated in the warehouse.

EOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEO

Elliot was pushing through the crowd of people milled around the warehouse when he heard the shots. _Please God, don't let Olivia be hurt,_ he prayed, running to the front of the building. _Please._

EOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEO

Olivia felt the bullet tear through her shoulder, and she gritted her teeth in agony. Through the haze of pain, she saw Abraham fall to the floor, crimson blood spewing from his chest. Breathing heavily, she slumped to the floor, slipping into unconsciousness seconds before backup broke down the door.

EOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEO

Elliot made his way to the warehouse's entrance when he saw medics carrying a stretcher out of the building.

"Oh, God," he mumbled, watching as the medics loaded the stretcher into the ambulance, then sped away, sirens wailing. He saw Cragen walk out of the building, and Elliot jogged to the older man.

"Where is she? Where's my partner?" he demanded breathlessly. Elliot saw the hollow look in Cragen's eyes, and it terrified him.

"Abraham shot her," Cragen said slowly, pointing to a sheet covered object. Before Cragen could stop him, Elliot ran to the object, skidding to a stop beside it.

"No," he moaned. "Not my Liv." A few seconds later, Cragen appeared at his detective's side, out of breath.

"Elliot," he gasped. "That's not Olivia. They took her to the hospital. Come on, we gotta go," he insisted, tugging on Elliot's arm.

Elliot continued to stare at the sheet covered object, desperately trying to wrap his mind around Cragen's words.

_That's not her. She's at the hospital. She's gonna be fine,_ a voice inside his head insisted. The reality of the situation finally sank in, and he and Cragen hurried to a squad car, gravel flying as they sped out of the parking lot.

EOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEO

"Elliot? Elliot, wake up!" he heard a voice demand through the fog of sleep. Suddenly he remembered where he was, and he shot up in his chair.

Cragen, Munch and Fin watched as Elliot stood up and looked at them, the fear evident in his features.

Cragen stepped forward and spoke. "Elliot, Olivia's doctor was just here."

A low moan escaped from Elliot's throat, and he leaned heavily against the nearest wall.

"Elliot, she's okay. The bullet went through with no muscle or nerve damage. She'll have a nice scar, though," Cragen said half jokingly.

Fin spoke up. "She's still asleep. The doctor said she'll probably sleep through the night."

"Her doctor said we couldn't all stay with her, so we've already been to see her."

Cragen took Elliot's arm and guided him away.

"I talked to him, and he said that you could stay the night with her," Cragen said quietly, affectionately squeezing Elliot's shoulder.

"Thanks," was all Elliot could manage.

Cragen sensed the younger man's anxiety, and he said, "Come on, Elliot. I'll show you where her room is."

Elliot followed Cragen slowly, and when they got to her room, Cragen pulled Elliot into a brief hug and said, "She needs you, Elliot. Don't let her down."

He nodded and took a deep, calming breath. He was going to see his partner, his best friend. His Liv.

EOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEO

The room was dark and silent, save for the soft beeps of Olivia's heart monitor. There was only one bed in the room, and Elliot could see the familiar outline of his partner's form. Slowly he made his way to her side, sitting in the chair beside her bed. Almost shyly, he reached for her small hand, holding it gently in his own large one, studying her features.

She looked like a sleeping angel, her chestnut hair fanned around her head, framing her face.

As he continued to gaze at her, Elliot felt the surge of adrenaline that he had been running on all day begin to wear off, and exhaustion take its place. Knowing that he wouldn't leave her, Elliot came to a conclusion. Carefully placing his head on her stomach, he continued to hold her hand as he felt sleep overcome him.

EOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEO

The first thing that Olivia was aware of as she slowly regained consciousness was the shooting pain in her shoulder. Cracking her eyes open, she realized that she was in a hospital room, and she closed her eyes again, fighting to find the strength to stay awake.

The second thing she was aware of was a heaviness on her stomach. _What happened?_ she thought as she reopened her eyes. Rolling her head to the side, Olivia saw a person in the chair beside her bed, the top half of their body resting on her stomach. _Elliot?_ she thought, a slow smile spreading over her face. She wanted to wake him up, but she had no idea how long he had been in the hospital. And if she knew Elliot, he had been there every minute of it. But she needed to see him, to see him smile and hear him tell her that everything would be okay. With a soft sigh, she lifted her right hand and carefully placed it on the back of his neck, caressing it gently. She felt him stir slightly under her hand, and she smiled when he lifted his head to look at her.

"Hi, partner," she whispered hoarsely, her smile widening when he shot her a heart melting grin.

"Hey, Liv," he said softly, reaching his hand behind his neck to grasp hers. "How are you feeling?" he asked, bringing her hand to rest on the bed and caressing her knuckles with her thumb.

"Sore," she admitted with a small chuckle.

He was so relieved to hear her voice that without a word, he shot out of the chair and wrapped his arms around her as tightly as she could, careful of her injuries.

She was surprised, but welcomed the embrace readily, nuzzling her face into his neck.

"Thanks," he said softly, resting his chin on the top of her head.

"For what?" she asked, confused.

"For pulling through. I don't know what I'd do without you," he admitted, holding her closer.

"El, you're not gonna lose me," she assured him, wrapping her good arm around his neck. "Face it, you're stuck with me."

This elicited a chuckle from Elliot, and he said, "That doesn't sound so bad."

After a minute of silence, he started to pull away, but she tightened her hold on him, whispering, "Please don't go."

His heart melted at that, and he said, "Scoot over." She did, and he climbed onto the bed, never releasing his hold on her.

She rolled over onto her good side, resting her head on his shoulder.

"How long have you been here?" Olivia asked, closing her eyes.

"Since last night. Abraham's dead. Did he shoot you, Liv?"

"Yeah," she confirmed quietly. "Couldn't get a shot off fast enough, but Melanie did. Don't remember anything else. Is Melanie okay?"

"Yeah, Liv. She's okay," he assured her, unconsciously stroking her hair. He felt her shudder, and was surprised when he looked down and saw her crying into his chest.

"Oh, Liv. Come here, honey," he said gently, tugging her closer against his side.

Olivia was shocked at this term of endearment, but didn't correct him. All this: the physical contact, the pet names were all new to them. There were lines in their partnership, and somehow they had managed to cross nearly all of them in a single night.

Elliot was also aware of this as he held her. But there was one line that they hadn't crossed, that maybe they hadn't been ready to cross. Until now. And after nearly losing her, Elliot was more than ready to take that risk and cross that line.

"Liv?" he asked softly.

"Yeah, El?" God, he loved it when she called him that.

"I love you," he said bravely. For a moment, he held his breath, and time seemed to stand still. Then she spoke.

"Well, Elliot, I guess we're in trouble, then."

Elliot felt like his heart was going to burst.

"Cause I love you, too," she said, burying her face deeper into his chest. Carefully he pulled her closer until she was lying on top of his chest, and he kissed her forehead. She smiled shyly, then pressed her lips against his. When she pulled away, she rested her forehead against his, closing her eyes.

"Liv?"

"Hmm, El?"

"Go to sleep," he said, kissing her forehead again.

She laughed lightly, then placed her head on his chest, tucking her head under his chin. He wrapped his arms around her as tightly as he could without aggravating her injuries, smiling as he felt her breathing grow deep and even, telling him that she had drifted back off to sleep.

When he was sure she was asleep, he closed his own eyes, giving into his exhaustion.

EOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEO

When Cragen quietly walked into Olivia's hospital room, he smiled warmly at the sight in front of him. Olivia was lying on Elliot's chest, a content smile on both of their faces. Giving them one last glance, Cragen smiled as he walked back out of the room. _They're so made for each other,_ he thought as he headed back to the precinct.

The End.

A/N: Okay, everybody, on three. Ready? One, two, three! YAY FOR EONESS!!! Now, go review! Go on, you know you wanna...


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